AFGHANISTAN is falling back into the hands of the Taliban, according to an international security and drugs think-tank.The hard-line Islamic group have psychological and military control over half the country, say the Senlis Council.And the lawless Helmand province in the south, where British troops are concentrated, is under "limited or no central government control". Senlis blame military priorities and "flawed" poppy eradication policies for Afghanistan's plight.The report says: "Having effectively assumed responsibility for the country in 2001, the United States-led international community have failed to achieve stability and security in Afghanistan."It comes a day after the British Army's most senior officer warned his men were fighting at the limit of their capacity.Chief of General Staff General Sir Richard Dannatt said the Army could only just cope with the demands being placed on it by the Government.... http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk

The Pentagon’s top uniformed lawyers took issue Thursday with a key part of a White House plan to prosecute terrorism detainees, telling Congress that limiting the suspects’ access to evidence could violate treaty obligations. Their testimony to a House committee marked the latest time that military lawyers have publicly challenged Bush administration proposals to keep some evidence — such as classified information — from accused terrorists. In the past, some military officials have expressed concerns that if the U.S. adopts such standards, captured American troops might be treated the same way. The lawyers’ testimony contrasted with the panel chairman’s assertion that the United States must take a harder line when prosecuting terrorists. ...http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14717778/

Formal charges will be brought in a Norfolk military courtroom Wed against a submarine sailor charged with espionage, desertion and several other offenses, the Navy said. Fire Control Technician 3rd Class Ariel J. Weinmann, 21, is expected to be charged with 3 counts of espionage, desertion, larceny, failure to obey a lawful order, copying classified information and destruction of military property — the same charges preferred following a July 26 preliminary hearing by the general court-martial convening authority for the case, Adm. John Nathman, the top officer at the Norfolk, Va.-based Commander Fleet Forces Command. According to CFFC spokesman Ted Brown, Weinmann will also be advised of his rights and be given the opportunity to enter a plea. They fail to mention that the Foreign Power is Israel. Why is that a secret? Must be a National Security Issue, or it embarrasses someone. Or simply, it’s not Politically Correct to catch Israel Spying on us...http://navytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2081663.php

The United States will not attend next week's summit in Cuba of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) that will gather some of its most hostile critics just 90 miles from U.S. soil, the top U.S. diplomat in Cuba said on Thursday. Michael Parmly said the United States had not taken up an invitation to attend the summit of 116 developing nations as an observer as it has in the past, noting that Washington had a better relationship with previous host Malaysia than it does with communist Cuba. "We simply did not pick up the invitation," Parmly told Reuters. Cuba has been an ideological foe of the United States since Fidel Castro came to power in a 1959 revolution. The presidents of Iran and Syria, countries the Bush administration sees as members of an "axis of evil," are expected at the meeting, as well as a high-ranking delegation from the other alleged member, North Korea. ...http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2406051

NATO's top commander on Thursday urged allied nations to send reinforcements to southern Afghanistan, where resurgent Taliban militants are inflicting heavy casualties on foreign forces and have captured a remote town for the second time in two months. Gen. James L. Jones said after a trip to Afghanistan that the coming weeks could be decisive for thousands of troops fighting in the south of the country amid the worst upsurge in violence since the hard-line Taliban regime's ouster in late 2001. He said in Belgium that NATO needed ``additional insurance in terms of some forces that can be there, perhaps temporarily, to make sure that we can carry the moment.'' That could take the form of helicopters, transport planes and several hundred ``flexible'' reserve troops able to move quickly to support NATO forces around the region. ...http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6065212,00.html

The owner of DataUSA Inc., a company that conducted political polls for the campaigns of President Bush, Sen. Joe Lieberman and other candidates, pleaded guilty to fraud for making up survey and poll results. Tracy Costin pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Costin, 46, faces a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when she is sentenced Nov. 30. As part of her plea agreement, Costin agreed to repay $82,732 to the unidentified clients for 11 jobs between June 2002 and May 2004. DataUSA is now known as Viewpoint USA. According to a federal indictment, Costin told employees to alter poll data, and managers at the company told employees to ``talk to cats and dogs'' when instructing them to fabricate the surveys. ...http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6064434,00.html